08-15-2017, 11:30 AM
(08-15-2017, 10:18 AM)Jim21680_imp Wrote: My first bike was an SV-650, and I do miss that sporty V-twin rumble. I remember swearing that I'd "never own a inline-4 bike, because they make all their power in the wrong place"....
Obviously I was a young clueless fool, but I was basing that opinion on the high-strung 600 & 1000cc sportbikes of the time.
I think I'd enjoy owning a Ducati, but I'll admit...this air-cooled 4 is sweet!! Like others have said, it's perfect for my riding style.
One bike or engine I'll never own again is a 360-degree parallel twin (as in, the F800GT, etc). It sounded like someone kicked a 55-gallon drum full of wrenches down a hill.
While it's not my type of bike to ever own, I'd love to try the BMW K1600GT, with that super-awesome inline 6.
That's where engineering and tuning comes into play. By tweaking the intake and cam profiles, you can completely change the power characteristics of an I-4. If you're going for peak HP numbers, you'll get a power curve that is lacking in the bottom end, but delivers big numbers in the high rpm range. Conversely, if you're willing to sacrifice that peak HP number, you can "de-tune" the I-4 to provide a relatively linear powerband throughout the rpm range. Fortunately, Honda decided on the latter strategy for the CB1100. It provides power where most typical street riders can use it.
My CB750 is similar. They took the I-4 from the Euro/Japan CBX750 sportbike, and de-tuned it to provide plenty of power in the low end. It's peak HP dropped from 91 to around 70, but it makes for a much more pleasant ride on the street.